The best Broadway shows at sea

Fantastic entertainment on board your cruise can be just the thing that adds extra sparkle to your holiday.

And cruise lines are debuting bigger and better shows.

Norwegian Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean regularly feature a list of shows, fresh from Broadway on their cruises.

And if you’re a Disney fan, you can watch musicals based on classic movies like Beauty and the Beast and some of the latest hits like Frozen on Disney Cruise Lines.

Princess Cruises, P&O Cruises, Carnival Cruises also create unique productions in collaboration with leading creatives from Broadway and London’s West End. Cruisers can also catch exclusive Cirque du Soleil show on MSC Cruises.

This year, Norwegian Joy will get guests to kick off their Sunday shoes and cut Footloose on board as she makes her debut in Alaska in May.

The timeless story of a Chicago teen with a love for dance, sharing it in a town with a ban on Rock n’ Roll, is having its first run at sea.

“We are very excited to showcase Footloose, a feel-good, positive show that encourages people to embrace new ideas, stand up for what they believe in and dance their hearts out,” said Norwegian Cruise Line President and CEO Andy Stuart.

Norwegian Cruise Line

The Australian hit musical is loosely based on the 70s icon Studio 54 and presents the best of the disco era with cabaret, circus and burlesque elements.

After Midnight – Norwegian Escape

This show tells the story of Duke Ellington’s years at Harlem’s iconic Cotton Club. Immerse in the smoky, sexy glamour of jazz with heart-pounding dancing and a high-energy onstage jazz band.

Rock of Ages – Norwegian Breakaway

The five-time Tony Award-nominated musical presents a classic love story featuring some of the best rock hits of the 1980s, including “Here I Go Again” and “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.”

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Norwegian Epic

Based on the 1994 Australian movie of the same name, the Broadway hit tells the story of a trio of two drag queens and a transgendered person who buy an old bus and travel through the Australian Outback together.

Jersey Boys – Norwegian Bliss

Follow the incredible true story of Frankie Valli and iconic 1960s rock ‘n’ roll band, The Four Seasons.

Royal Caribbean

Mamma Mia – Allure of the Seas

Featuring hit music from ABBA, this show about a girl wanting to meet her estranged father, has been running on Broadway for more than 10 years. Calling all dancing queens!

Cats – Oasis of the Seas

Indulge in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music in one of the world’s best known musicals which has since been presented in over 20 countries and about 250 cities.

Grease – Independence of the Seas

Slick back your hair and pack your poodle skirts for this Broadway rendition of a classic high school romance.

Saturday Night Fever – Liberty of the Seas

Dance the night away with John Travolta, the king of the disco. Experience New York City nightlife in its 1970’s heyday, think platforms and polyester.

Hairspray – Symphony of the Seas

In this one, Tracy Turnblad has big hair and big dreams and won’t stop until she gets her spot at dancing on the Corny Collins Show.

We Will Rock You – Anthem of the Seas

The show with killer Queen tunes has run a record-breaking 12 years at London’s Dominion Theatre. Rock out with Radio Ga Ga, I Want to Break Free, Bohemian Rhapsody and of course We Will Rock You.

Disney Cruise Line

Beauty and the Beast – Disney Dream

Watch Belle draw cold-hearted Beast out of living in isolation with the help of his enchanted servants.

Frozen, A Musical Spectacular – Disney Wonder

Snow Queen Elsa needs no introduction. Watch her and her friends race to save their kingdom from winter’s cold grip.

Tangled: The Musical – Disney Magic

Wrap yourselves in the long silky blonde locks of Princess Rapunzel as she escapes the tower!

Disney’s Aladdin, A Musical Spectacular – Disney Fantasy

Indulge in the fantasy of having three wishes granted by the genie in the magic lamp with Aladdin and Princess Jasmine.

Princess Cruises

The Secret Silk is Princess Cruises’ third exclusive show produced with Stephen Schwartz, the Oscar®, Grammy® and Tony® award-winning composer of Wicked.

The show is adapted from the Japanese fable “The Grateful Crane” and it features puppetry from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. Watch it on Royal Princess and Island Princess and look forward to iconic songs like Sarah McLachlan’s “In the Arms of an Angel,” The Police’s “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” and Christina Aguilera’s “Fighter”.

Born to Dance is a tribute to the history of musical theatre and dance of Broadway, presented by Stephen Schwartz, showcasing songs and choreography from some of Broadway’s most famous shows like Oklahoma, West Side Story, Chicago, Hairspray, Mamma Mia! and more. Catch the show on Grand Princess, Star Princess and Golden Princess, and Regal Princess.

P&OCruises

Love Riot on the Pacific Explorer is a circus and burlesque performance created by the producer of Blanc de Blanc. Look out for acrobats, aerialists, gymnasts and dancers seducing with a risqué routine, punctuated with comic relief from jugglers.

New original production Slumber comes aboard Pacific Dawn and Pacific Explorer. Along with contemporary songs, the show explores how our beds can be a place of rest, struggle, dream and escape.

Carnival Cruises

Celestial Strings on Carnival Horizon

Three new shows debuted on Carnival Horizon, the line’s newest ship, as she entered service in April last year. Hear your song favourites in full-blown musical productions in Soulbound – a gothic-inspired journey through New Orleans, Celestial Strings – where classical music and modern pop beats come together with a live string trio, and Vintage Pop – bringing the Great Gatsby and Cotton Club era to you with a live band and burlesque.

MSC Cruises

Varélia – The Princess

The line has partnered with Cirque du Soleil to create eight exclusive shows that will be presented on the four Meraviglia-class ships, coming into service between 2017 and 2020. SYMA – Sail beyond Imagination and ‘Varélia’ – Love in Full Colour debuts on MSC Bellisima when she makes her inaugural sailing this March.

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